Folding attachment for sewing-machines.



No. 843,838. PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

- H. NEDERMAN. FOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APE.26.1905.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

TH: NORRIS PETERS cm, wnsnmcrou, u. c

PATBNTED T3312, 1907.

HfN'EDERMAN, FOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APILZB, 1905.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.IIHI Ill.

751111125525 Inven'lnr NT 1 z AH-f5- 1n: NORRIS PETERS cm, wasnmm'an, n.h.

I No. 843,838. PATENTED-FEB. 12, 1907.

H. NEDERMAN.

FOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.26,1905.

e SHEETS-SHEET 3.

- liver I 131" PATENTED' FEB. 12, 1907.]

H. NEDERMAN. FOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING momma.

APPLICATION FILED APR-26. 1905.

Him?

YHE NORRIS PE No.843,838. f PATENTEDFEB. 12; 190% HLNBDERMANI FOLDINGATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MAOHINE S. APPLICATION FILED APE.26.1905.

e SHEETS-SHEET 5Q ImzEnIFr.

AUI5

PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

H. NEDERMAN. FOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, 1905.

e sums-SHEET a.

' INVENTOR ATTORNEY UNITE il STATES PAFNT FFTQ.

HERMAN NEDERMAN, OF TROY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TONATIONAL FOLDING & SEWING MACHINE 00., OF TROY, NEW

YORK, A CORPORATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1 2, 1 907.

Application filed April 26, 1905. Serial No. 257,553.

To (all w/wm it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERMAN NEDERMAN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of the city of Troy, county of Rensselaer, andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements ina Folding Attachment for Sewing-Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to folding attachments for sewing-machines; and theobjects of my invention are to provide a device which may be secured toa sewing-machine, whereby the edges of the goods to be sewed may beautomatically turned over and the two or more pieces desired to beunited together be so placed and held during the sewing operation thatthe needle and thread will pass through the pieces and through theirturnedover edges, which turned-over portion is placed between the twopieces, respectively, and the seam be uniform and smooth throughout itsentire length; also, to provide an attachment whereby the goods may beautomatically turned when it is desirable to have the seam sewed aroundthe cornersas, for instance, in making a collar or cuffand during saidturning to cause the seam to be made with the same uniformity andsmoothness as when making a straight seam, together with such otherelements and combinations as are hereinafter more particularly set forthand claimed. I attain these objects by means of the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a sewing machine to which my attachment is applied. Fig. 2is a plan of my invention with parts of the sewing-machine to which itis attached shown in section. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of myinvention with parts of the machine to which it is attached broken away.Fig. at is a perspective view of my invention with parts of thesewing-machine to which it is attached broken away. Fig. 5 is aperspective view of the rotary hook. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of amodified form of rotary hook. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of thefold-guide. Fig. 8 is a detail elevation showing the connection betweenthe goods and the fold-guide and the rotary hook before the goods havebeen operated on by the two feet of the machine. Fig.

the goods when the feet are pressed against them. Fig. 10 is a detailelevation showing the position of the goods when the rotary hook is incontact with the goods. Fig. 11 is a detail elevation showing theposition of the goods when a modified form of rotary hook is used. Fig.12 is a perspective View of the bottom of the upper presser-foot. Fig.13 is a perspective view of the bottom foot. Fig. 14 is a diagrammaticplan view of the foldguide and the modified form of rotary hook shown inFig. 6, illustrating the position of the hook and fold-guide, togetherwith the path of the hook during its rotation. Fig. 15 is a detail sideelevation, with parts broken away, showing the connection between thedriving mechanism of a sewing-machine and the needle-bar, presser-footshaft, and walking-foot shaft.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My attachment is adapted to be connected with a sewing-machinesuch, forinstance, as the Wheeler & \Vilson, which is the machine shown in thedrawings.

Beneath the table 1 of the machine I place a wheel A, which ispreferably serrated to engage with the link chain a, Fig. 1, which isattached to the power-pulley of the machine. (Not shown.) The wheel A issecured to the shaft B, which shaft carries the gear-wheel C and alsonear its end the gear-wheel 4. The gear O meshes with the gear-wheel D,mounted on the shaft E, which shaft has on its end the beveled gear F,which beveled gear F meshes with the beveled gear G on the verticalshaft H, which carries the rotary hook J,

the hook J being above the table 1. The gear-wheel 4 on the shaft B, asaforesaid, meshes with the gear 5, which gear 5 is keyed to the shaft 6,on the end of which shaft is the cam 7. (See Fig. 1.) Engaging W ith thecam 7 is the lever 8, which is pivoted at 9 to the hanger 10, dependingfrom the table 1. The end of the lever 8 near which the cam 7 engages issupported by the spring 11, which spring is secured to the table 1, andabout midway between the cam and its pivoted support 9 is a shank 12, onthe end of which is formed the bottom foot 13.

The action of the cam 7 on the lever 8 9 is a detail elevation showingthe position of l raises and lowers the bottom foot 13, bringing it incontact and removing it away from the work.

On the table 1 I place the fold-guide 3,

' u on which is referabl arran ed an atl'ustable guide 2. (See big. 4.)The fola guiie 3 is sligntly raised above the table 1 except at its eni3, where it is attached to the table in order to allow for one or moreof the pieces of goods to be sewed to be placed beneath the fold-guide.Along one cage of the fold-guide there is a deep groove 15, into whichgroove the overlapping portions of the goods to be sewed are forced bythe rotary hook, as will hereinafter be more particularly described. Theeni of the fold-guide is preferably bent or rounded, as shown in r igs.4 and 7.

The presser-foot 17 is provided with a por tion 18, projecting from thesurface of the foot, which corresponds with a projection 14 on the topof the foot 13, each being used for the purpose of folding over the endsof the fabric when they are placed on opposite sides of the fold-guide,as shown in rigs. 8 and 9. Presser-foot 17 is secured to thepresser-foot shaft 19 in the usual manner.

The needle 16 is secured to the needle-bar 16 in the usual manner.

For the purpose of clearing the goods from the needle and pressing themdown after the needle has penetrated them and is about to be withdrawn Ihave what I call a walking foot, which consists of a pin or red 20,secured to the shaft 23. It is operated in unison with the needle-bar16. On the shaft 23 I place a collar 22.

The driving-shaft carries at its end the eccentric 24, which eccentriccarries a pin 24, engaging with the link 102, which is connected by apin to the needle-bar 16 at 103. The eccentric 24 engages with the ring104, surrounding the eccentric, and which ring has projecting therefromthe arms and 106. The arm 106 engages with the pin 107, con nected withthe link 108, which link is also connected with the pin 27 on the link26, pivoted to the frame at 109. The link 26 also carries a pin 110,which engages with movable bearing 111, which movable bearing slideswithin the arms 112 and 113 of the block 25, which block 25 also has thearms 115 and 116, within which is the movable bearing 117. The pin 118,attached to the walking-foot shaft 23, engages with the movable bearing117. The block 25 is pivoted at 119 to the projection 120, mounted onthe presser-foot shaft 19, by means of the collar 121 and screws 122.

As the eccentric 24 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow inFig. 15 from the position indicated by the dotted line denominated 1stto the position indicated by the dotted line denominat d 2nd the arm 106on the ring 104 will tend to force downward the pin 107, antl thereforethe link 108, to the position indicated by dotted lines. The pivot 109of the link 26 being fastened rigidly to the frame, the movement of thelink 108 to the position indicated by dotted lines would cause the endof the link 26 bearing the pin 27, engaging the link 108, to move towardone si of the machine to the position incicated by dotted lines. Thelink 26 in moving to one side would carry with it the pin 110, which pin110, engaging the movable bearing 111, sliding within the arms 112 and113, would cause said arms 112 and 113 to move in a similar direction,as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 15. The pin 118, attached to thewalking-foot shaft 23, being at its lowest point, bec ause of the collar22 coming into contact with stop 22, said pin 118, engaging movablebearing 117, slicing between the arms 115 and 116, would act as a pivot,which would cause the block 25 to rotate slightly about said pin 118,and thus raise the projection 120 and presser-foot bar 19, as shown bydotted lines in Fig. 15.

The rotary hook J, heretofore referred to, and which is on the shaft H,is for the purpose of forcing the edges of the pieces to be sewed intothe groove on the side of the foldguide, as shown in detail views, Figs.8, 9, 10, and 11, the location of the hook being such in reference tothe fold-guide that as the hook rotates it will enter the groove 15 inthe fold-guide, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

When the collar 30 is to be made, if it is to be a four-ply collar twoof the pieces of which it is to be formed are placed above thefold-guide and the other two pieces beneath it. The fabric would thenoccupy the position shown in Fig. 8. As the machine starts, the

bottom foot raises and the top or presser foot descends in unison. Thebottom foot and the top or presser foot bend the goods in contact withthem, respectively, on their edges at an angle of ninety degrees, thisbecause the projections 18 and 14 on the two feet respectively press thegoods over the edges of the fold-guide, and they occupy the positionshown in Fig. 9. The rotary hook then is inserted in the groove 15 ofthe holder and presses the edges of the goods therein, as shown in Fig.10, thus overlapping the edges. The needle 16 is then inserted, and theseam is sewed in the usual way It is noticed that the rotary hookpresses the edges into the fold-guide just in front of the needle, sothat the goods pass immediately to the needle and. are sewed withoutgiving any opportunity for the goods to become loosened or out ofposition between the time they are folded and the actual sewing thereof.

I have shown in Figs. 6 and 11 a modified form of rotary hook, providingon one of the ends of the hook two parallel portions Z and fold-guide,while the portions Z and Z will engage the work above and below the foldguide, respectively, and tend to smooth the folded edge.

I ig. 14 illustrates by the dotted circular lines the path of the rotaryhook, the inner curved dotted line showing that the overlapping pieces Zand Z do not interfere with the operations of the hook by striking thefold-guide 3.

I also preferably arrange on the end of the presser-foot 17 aright-angled projecting wire Y, (see Fig. 12,) which has at its looseend a projection Y, which wire and projection act as a guide and assistsin maintaining the proper position of the goods in reference to thepresserfoot.

For the purpose of automatically turning the goods and maintaining theoperation of sewing the same without interruption I have constructed thefollowing device: Secured to the frame of the machine, in the rear ofthe presser-foot shaft 19, I pivot a spindle 32, upon one end of whichis placed a lever 33, the other end carrying a plate 34, upon which isarranged a dog 35, engaging with the ratchet 36, which is placed on theend of a vertical post 37. The dog is connected with the lever 38, theshank of which lever is adapted to be brought in contact with thewalking-foot shaft 23. Vhen the lever is depressed, the movement of thewalking-foot shaft would impart movement to the dog and cause theratchet to move one space with each movement of the walking-foot. Thiswill impart to the goods with which the roughened or serrated end of thepost 37 engages when the lever 33 is depressed a rotary motion in stepwith the feeding and stitch-producing motion of the sewing-machine. Thuswith each stitch made as the needle leaves the work and the walking-footengages with it the post 37 turns the work just sufficient in extent andtime to allow the needle on its return to make its uniform stitch, andthe goods while the stitch is being made to be held securely inposition, and when the needle leaves the work the goods are given justthe required turn and stopped again to hold the work securely while theneedle is making the stitch. This is a very important part of theinvention, as it is apparent that if the goods are fed too fast on theturn there would be a wrinkling or unevenness in the seam, and therewould be a tendency to break the threads and to cause the seam to be constructed in an irregular rather than a uniform manner. As soon as thecorner is turned the lever is lifted and the goods are sewed along astraight line, as before. On

the lever 33 I place a stop 39, (see Figs. 1 and 4,) which will engagethe frame of the machine under the influence of the spring 40. Said stop39 thus holds the lever against the tension of the said spring, as shownin Fig. 1, when the lever is out of commission.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. A device for folding over the edges of fabric to be stitched,consisting of a foldguide, means cooperating therewith for folding thefabric, said means including a rotary hook; a means for causing saidhook to rotate and in its rotation to press the edges of the goods intosaid fold-guide, substantially as described.

2. An attachment for sewing-machines, consisting of a fold-guideprovided with an opening along one edge means cooperating therewith forfolding the fabric, said means including arotary hook; ameansforimparting motion to said hook; said hook in its rotation forcing theedges of the goods into said opening in the edge of said fold-guide,substantially as described.

3. An attachment for sewing-machines, consisting of a fold-guide securedto the table of a sewing-machine; a bottom foot beneath the work; ameans for causing said bottom foot to raise and lower in unison with therespectively lowering and raising of the presser-foot; a projection onthe operatingsurface of the bottom foot, near one edge thereof; apresser-foot; aprojection along the operatin g-surface near one edgethereof; a r0- tary hook with means for imparting motion to said hook,all substantially as described.

4. An attachment for sewing-machines, consisting of a fold-guide, meanscooperating therewith for folding the fabric; a vertical post; a pivotedlever carrying said post; a ratchet on the end of said post; a dogengaging said ratchet; a lever connected with said dog, engaging ashaft; a means for imparting motion to said post corresponding to thefeed motion of the machine; a lever by the operation of which said postis brought in contact with the work on the table of the machine, allsubstantially as described.

5. In a sewing-machine attachment; a fold-guide, means cooperatingtherewith for foldingt-hefabric; afeedingmechanism; adevice for turningthe goods, consisting of a post having one end engaging with the goodsto be operated upon; a ratchet attached to the other end of said post; adog arranged to engage said ratchet; a pivoted lever supporting saidpost, ratchet and dog; a lever for operating said post; a means forimparting motion to said dog, whereby the dog will move the ratchet, andtherefore, the post, in unison with the feed motion of the machine.

6. In an attachment for sewing-machines; a shaft; a means for applyingpower thereto; a series of gears operated by the movement of said shaft;beveled gears; a rotary hook set in motion by said gears; a fold-guideprovided with a groove along one edge thereof secured to the table of asewing-machine,

IIO

means cooperating therewith for folding the fabric, said means includingsaid rotary hook, substantially as described.

7. In an attachment for sewing-machines;

of the material to be sewed over said foldguide; a rotary hook, a meansfor causing said hook in its rotation to press said folded over edges inthe opening in said fold-guide; a walking-foot arranged to engage saidmaterial; and hold the same as the needle of the machine is withdrawntherefrom all substantially as described.

Signed at Albany, New York, this 18th day of April, 1905.

HERMAN NEDERMAN.

WVitnesses:

J. H. BRODERIOK, FREDERICK W. CAMERON

